Protecting staff and patients from the hazards of accidental chemical exposure is essential to safe patient care. This includes the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), controls (such as barriers and splash shielding) and eye wash stations in the event of exposure. These items must be maintained to be effective. Another piece of equipment that is sometimes overlooked is the spill kit. These kits may vary in contents but essentially they provide material and supplies to contain and, often, clean up hazardous chemical spills. It is essential that these supplies are available and ready for use if a spill occurs. Our team has made some observations regarding spill kits:
- An inpatient unit was observed to have patients receiving chemotherapy. The chemotherapy was administered by an RN from another floor. The unit did not have a chemotherapy spill kit and, upon discussion with the chemotherapy team, spill kits were not brought to the unit during administration of the medication. This left the unit without a kit to immediately address spills.
- Another organization’s entire spill kit inventory was found expired. The staff were unaware there was an expiration date on the kits.
- An organization had prepositioned spill kits in plexiglass containers on the inpatient units that were sealed with zip ties. When the kits were inspected by our team, it was noted that the plastic scoops disintegrated when handled. The kits had been in place for several years but without a maintenance process.
- Staff were unaware of the location of their spill kit when queried by our team. Eventually, the kit was found in a storeroom.
Organizations should ensure that they conduct a risk assessment to determine the required locations for spill kits and develop a process to actively maintain them to ensure supplies are available for staff when needed. Staff should be trained on the spill kits that are in use including how to use, location and how to obtain one. Special consideration should be given to those situations where hazardous chemicals and medications are used. This should include ensuring that spill kits are available prior to use or administration.
Please contact us for questions or more information at 704-573-4535 or info@courtemanche-assocs.com.
Courtemanche & Associates specializes in Healthcare Accreditation and Regulatory Compliance Consulting Services. With over 30 years of being in business and 100+ years of healthcare experience amongst our consulting team, we are ready to assist with your accreditation and regulatory compliance needs.
